Sowetan

Bavuma looking to rise to the occasion as he signs SA20 contract

Sunrisers grab Proteas ODI captain

- By Athenkosi Tsotsi

After being initially snubbed in the Betway SA20 and watching the first half from the sidelines, Proteas white ball captain Temba Bavuma has been signed by Gqeberha outfit the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the rest of the season.

With the SA20 going into the concluding stage with a lot at stake, the Sunrisers have roped in Bavuma for the remainder of the season after he impressed in the 21 ODI series win against England.

“I’m excited to be joining up with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape team for the remainder of the SA20 campaign,” said Bavuma in a video shared on Twitter.

“I look forward to the opportunit­y and being part of an incredible bunch of guys. I’m sure good memories will be made,” he said.

Bavuma put on a solid performanc­e with the bat in the three series games, scoring 35, 109, and 36.

The 32-year-old also showed sound captaincy skills and will prove to be a valuable addition to the team.

The Sunrisers have been the surprise package in the SA20 so far, catching many teams off guard. Currently, they are in second place on the table with 17 points and will look to push for a playoff spot.

They will return to action tomorrow when they take on Durban’s Super Giants at Kingsmead (1.30).

Meanwhile, Joburg Super Kings veteran spinner Aaron Phangiso has been replaced by Kyle Simmonds after he was suspended for his bowling in the SA20. He was found to have bowled with a noncomplia­nt action by the SA20 Independen­t Bowling Action Panel, last week he had an ICC Accredited Bowling Action Test at the University of Pretoria and the test confirmed he bowled with non-compliant action.

 ?? /GALLO IMAGES ?? Temba Bavuma was in devastatin­g form during the 2-1 ODI series win over England, scoring a century in Bloemfonte­in.
/GALLO IMAGES Temba Bavuma was in devastatin­g form during the 2-1 ODI series win over England, scoring a century in Bloemfonte­in.

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